The long-term goal of this project is to increase the numbers of underrepresented minoritystudents who obtain their doctorate and pursue research careers in the biomedicalsciences. The basic strategy is to continueto develop and maintainpartnerships with schools that have large numbers of underrepresented students, to recruit and select highly qualified students, to provide them with qualitylaboratory experiences andchallenging courses duringtheir undergraduate years, to provide them with Financial and academicsupport services that maximize their potential for success, and to provide them with the qualifications and references so they may compete for entry into the strongest graduate programs in the country. The objectives of the MARC program are:1) to attract underrepresented students to biomedicaldisciplinesand courses ofstudy at Stony Brook; 2) to identify underrepresented students at Stony Brookwith an interest and potential in pursuingresearch careers in the biomedicalsciences and related fields early in their academic tenure; 3) to motivate underrepresented studentsto obtain degreesin biomedical sciences and related fields; 4) to help students gain confidencein their abilities by early exposure to laboratory experiences, research, public speaking and biomedicalresearchers; 5) to create a positive environmentthrough the use ofgroup activities, mentoring and advising;6) to promote an awareness ofthe opportunities available in biomedical research through peer, graduate student and faculty mentoring,as well as research experiences at other institutions; and 7) to create a national model for outreach and undergraduate education at Stony Brookthat will ensure a diverse and highly-trained biomedicalresearch workforce for the future.